Some invertebrate predators of polyps of Chrysaora quinquecirrha were identified. They included Caprella equilibra, Callipallene brevirostris, N eopanope texana sayi, Pagurus longicarpus, Libinia dubia, and Cratena pilata. Only C. pilata showed a preference over other possible prey organisms

Haven, Dexter S.

Oakes, Martin J.

English

College of William & Mary: W&M Publish

W&M ScholarWorks VIMS Articles Virginia Institute of Marine Science 1971 Some Predators of Polyps of Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Scyphozoa, Semaeostomeae) in the Chesapeake Bay Martin J. Oakes William and Mary - Department of Biology Dexter S. Haven Virginia Institute of Marine Science Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsarticles  Part of the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Oakes, Martin J. and Haven, Dexter S., Some Predators of Polyps of Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Scyphozoa, Semaeostomeae) in the Chesapeake Bay (1971). Virginia Journal of Science, 22(1), 45-46. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsarticles/2128 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in VIMS Articles by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@wm.edu. Martin J. Oakes and Dexter S. Haven College of William and Mary Williamsburg, Virginia and Virginia Institute of Marine Science Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062 Received February 22, 1971 Some Predators of Polyps of Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Scyphozoa, Semaeostomeae) in the Chesapeake Bay* Abstract-Some invertebrate predators of polyps of Chrysaora quinquecirrha were identified. They included Caprella equilibra, Callipallene brevirostris, N eopanope tex-ana sayi, Pagurus longicarpus, Libinia dubia, and Cratena pilata. Only C. pilata showed a preference over other pos-sible prey organisms. Introduction The Chesapeake Bay is plagued each year by the Scyphozoan Chrysaora quinquecirrha. The abun-dant medusoid form of this animal is a nuisance to swimmers and fishermen, and causes economic loss to businesses which profit from visitors to our sea-shores. On occasions it has clogged intake screens on power plants which use estuarine waters for cooling. At times it also causes trouble in the cooling systems of vessels. The ecology of C. quinquecirrha has been studied by various workers ( 1--4, and others). Further study is needed to determine pred-ators which may control populations in the estuary. Known predators of the free floating medusa and ephyra forms include the harvest fish Peprilus ale-pidotus, the anemone Diadumene leucolena, the spider crab, Libinia dubia and the barnacle Balanus eburneus (1, 2, 5, 6). The sessile polyp stage might be expected to be subject to predation by many species. One organism which has been extensively studied is the nudibranch Cratena pilata, an organ-ism capable of selectively ingesting polyps at a rapid rate (1, 7). The present research was directed toward determining the possible role of other com-mon benthic invertebrates as predators on polyps. Materials and Methods Epibenthic species from several taxa were tested as possible predators (Table I). The animals ex-amined had habitats similar to those of the polyp of C. quinquecirrha. Work on this project was completed during the months of June and July 1969. In an initial evaluation of a species as a predator, five or more individuals were placed in a large fin-gerbowl containing a known number of polyps. • Contribution No. 363 from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Supported in part by Public Law 89-720-Jellyfish Act. After 24 to 72 hours, the remaining polyps were counted. Animals tested were considered possible predators if more than 25% of the polyps were destroyed during the test. Controls consisted of a known number of polyps in a fingerbowl. The mor-tality !n the control bowls was compared to the mortality under experimental conditions. Animals designated as possible predators were further tested to determine whether scyphopolyps were the preferred prey. Specimens were placed in a 12-inch fingerbowl containing polyps, and the behav-ior of the organisms was observed through a dis-secting microscope. Controls were maintained in separate bowls. Results were considered positive when the suspected predator was seen ingesting a C. quinquecirrha polyp. Tests were repeated to con-firm initial observations. Polyps used in the study were attached to freshly collected oyster shells bearing other epibenthic or-ganisms (hydroids, sponges, bryozoans). The shell TABLE I Summary of Animals Scree11ed as Possible Predators of Polyps of Clrrysaora Quil1quecirrha Showing Positive ( +) a,rd Negatir.:e ( - ) Predatio,r Species Length range mm Results Gammarus sp. Caprel/a equilibra Coropl1ium sp. Cyatlmra carinata Pa/aemo11etes sp. Lihi11ia dubia Neopa11ope texa11a sayi Pagurus /011gicarpus Nereis succinea Hydroides hexagona Glycera dibra11cl1iata Nassarius sp. Urosalpinx cinerea Cratena pilata Cal/ipal/ene brevirostris Styloclms el/ipticus Coro11ade11a mutabilis Opsanus tau Goblesox strumosus PREDATORS OF POLYPS 4 5-8 5-10 10-15 30-40 30-40 25-40 15-20 25-45 15-20 40-50 15-20 10-15 2-5 1-2 2-4 2-4 40-50 40-50 + + + + + + 45 TABLE Il Details of Experiments 011 Six Predators of Polyps of Chrysaora Quinquecirrha Test Control Species Experiment Number Days Number Polyps Percent Mortality Number Polyps Percent Mortality Caprella 1 2 equilibra 2 3 3 2 Cal/ipal/ene 1 3 brevirostris 2 1 Neopanope l l texana 2 4 Cratena 1 pi/ata Pagurus 1 1 longicarpus 2 3 Libinia l 2 dubia 2 3 with its epifauna thus simulated a "natural environ-ment," offering alternative prey to the attached scyphopolyps. Oyster shells with polyps were ob-tained from the York River and tributary creeks. Results and Discussion Six of the 19 species tested were regarded as predators (Table II). They were the caprellid am-phipod Caprella equilibra, the pycnogonid Callipal-lene brevirostris, the mud crab N eopanope texana sayi, the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus, the spider crab Libinia dubia, the nudibranch Cratena pilata. Mortality among test polyps ranged from 80 to 100% in tests lasting from one to four days. Each predator is discussed below. Caprella equilibra. This amphipod moved over the oyster shell in an erratic manner. Both C. quin-quecirrha and hydroid polyps were readily ingested. In feeding, the amphipod did not always use its large gnathopods. · Callipallene brevirostris. On contact with a polyp, C. brevirostris quickly grasped its prey with the chelifores and mouth appendages. Polyps were in-gested by being sucked into the extended proboscis. Neopanope texana sayi and Pagurus longicarpus. These decapods fed in a similar manner, crawling over the oyster shell and ingesting bryozoans, hy-droids, and scyphopolyps. Polyps or other prey were grasped with the chelipeds, pushed to the mouth, and rapidly ingested. Both species were vo-racious predators in the laboratory; within 20 sec-onds each had devoured about 10 C. quinquecirrha polyps. Only one species of mud crab, N. texana sayi was studied, although other species of Xanthi-dae such as Eurypanopeus depressus or Panopeus herbsti may also be predators. Libinia dubia. This species was reported to be a predator of the medusae of Aurelia aurita ( 6) . The spider crab was also found to prey on the medusae of C. quinquecirrha. Such predation was frequently observed both in the field and in the laboratory. L. dubia feeds on scyphopolyps in the same manner as N. texana sayi and P. longicarpus. Feeding is in a non-selective fashion; other orj?;anisms (i.e., hy-droids, bryozoans) are seized with the chelae and rapidly ingested. 8 15 50 46 4 51 125 4 16 100 40 18 87 42 5 100 26 11 80 26 0 100 26 11 100 26 0 100 26 0 92 40 0 100 26 0 100 42 5 91 26 11 100 26 11 100 23 44 Cratena pilata. This nudibranch, as indicated by Cargo and Schultz ( 1), and Vogel ( 7), appears to be the only predator that shows a feeding preference for scyphopolyps. C. pilata by-passes other food items and appears to search for C. quinquecirrha polyps; other materials, however, are ingested as well. No nematocyst reaction, except for a small twitch of the sensory rhinophores, was observed when the nudibranch made contact with polyps. C. pilata ingested polyps as quickly as it located them. Five of the polyps predators identified in the present study are omnivorous in their feeding habits. These are C. equilibra, C. brivirostris, N. texana sayi, P. longicarpus, and L. dubia. All of the above possess a chitinous exoskeleton which provides pro-iection from the nematocysts of the C. quinquecir-rha polyps. The nudibranch C. pilata, a selective predator of scyphopolyps, has no exoskeleton, but is apparently not harmed by the nematocysts. It is suggested that these six invertebrate species, be-cause of their abundance in the Chesapeake Bay, possess a high potential for destruction of C. quin-quecirrha polyps. Further study of these predators and their feeding habits may suggest a natural method of controlling the jellyfish population in Chesapeake Bay. REFERENCES 1. Cargo, D. G., and Schultz, L. P., Further observations on the biology of the sea nettles and jellyfishes in Chesa-peake Bay, Chesapeake Sci., 8, 209 (1967). 2. Cones, H. N ., and Haven, D. S., Distribution of Chrys-aora quinquecirrha in the York River, Chesapeake Sci., 10, 75 (1969). 3. Littleford, R. A., The life cycle of Dactylometra quinque-cirrha, L. Agassiz in the Chesapeake Bay, Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole, 77, 368 (1939). 4. Spangenberg, D. B., Recent studies of strobilation in jellyfish, Oceanogr. mar. Biol. Ann Rev., 6, 231 (1968). 5. Mansueti, R. J., Symbiotic behavior between small fish and jellyfishes with new data on that between the stromateid Peprilus alepidotus and the scyphomedusa Chrysaora quinquecirrha, Copeia, 1, 40 ( 1963). 6. Jackowski, R., Observations on the moon jelly, Aurelia aurita, and the spider crab, Libinia dubia, Chesapeake Sci., 4, 195 (1963). 7. Vogel, R. M., The reproductive behavior and early de-velopment of the Eolid Nudibranch Cratena pilata gould. Abstract. Am. Zoologist, 9, 604 (1969). 46 THE VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE -~ 

Some Predators of Polyps of Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Scyphozoa, Semaeostomeae) in the Chesapeake Bay

https://scholarworks.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3129&amp;context=vimsarticles

Some Predators of Polyps of Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Scyphozoa, Semaeostomeae) in the Chesapeake Bay

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

College of William & Mary: W&M Publish